Contrary to popular belief, not everyone enjoys the stability of having a civil service job in China. A Chinese graduate surnamed Gu, who has a master’s degree in German literature from Wuhan University, said in a now-deleted post earlier this month that she only accepted the job posting to remote Jiayuguan in Gansu province, at the entrance to the Gobi in western China, because of family pressure.

She described the location as “a backward small county”. She said she was trapped in the industrial city dominated by iron and steel industries and worried she had “sold her freedom and soul”.

Her comments triggered an immediate backlash online, with people accusing her of “arrogance”, “immaturity” and “lacking professional ethics”. One commentary from Shanghai-based outlet The Paper said the central problem was that Gu’s goal in life was never to join the civil service. Being a civil servant isn’t merely a job, it said.

“Someone has to sacrifice, has to lay down some roots and be close to the people,” the commentary said. “If you took the civil service test with an opportunist mindset and utilitarian goals, then you wouldn’t be able to do the job well and wouldn’t be able to contribute to society.”

Jiayuguan authorities said they had granted Gu permission to leave the post.

Traditionally, becoming a civil servant is regarded as a high honour in Chinese society. The job comes with security – you rarely get fired, and you receive benefits including social welfare, housing subsidies, holidays and medical insurance. There are no such assurances at a private company, even though it is required by law. Many have fondly dubbed civil service jobs as an “iron rice bowl”.

Amid the economic downturn, even more people are taking the civil service exam these days. According to Xinhua, more than 1.7 million people submitted applications for the 2024 exams, 22,000 more than last year, and only 39,600 of them will be accepted.

There has long been debate over whether to choose security or follow one’s heart. The pitfalls of having a civil service job are well known: worse pay than in the private sector, little to no career development, bureaucratic procedures, boredom and often doing jobs unrelated to your degree.

The amount of harsh criticism directed at Gu is surprising, given that there is already so much discussion around the merits and drawbacks of civil service jobs. One reason may be that she had landed a highly coveted position, only to complain about it and quit, at a time when jobs can be difficult to find. Another reason might be that people saw her as condescending in her complaints, describing Jiayuguan as backwards and giving the impression she would be better off elsewhere.

However, it’s not all Gu’s fault. People might say she should have thought long and hard before choosing the job, or that she should have accepted the consequences – such as the unappealing aspects – and have been prepared to serve the people if she accepted a government job.

But what people haven’t mentioned is why a German literature student was forced to take a job that had nothing to do with what she had studied. Why did her parents think this was best for her? Were there other job options that wouldn’t have made her feel so trapped?

I don’t deny that someone should be fully prepared if they take the civil service exam. They should be ready to serve, have researched the posts they are applying for, and have an understanding of the daily tasks involved and the living conditions they will face, such as being out in remote areas lacking decent internet connections or proper heating in winter.

In discussions about jobs in China today, more focus is on stability and the benefits of employment while the civil service is lauded as “serving the people” and “serving the country”. There is also the misconception that being a civil servant means you don’t do much other than sit in an office and read newspapers or reports.

This year, several universities have taken the first step to correct this and are calling for graduates to set their sights beyond just taking the civil service exam and to try to find jobs in a variety of areas, such as with small or micro enterprises, or seek work in less-populated areas.

But this trend cannot be corrected by the students alone. They must be given more opportunities to overcome the challenges they face.